1. Field of the Invention
The present invention pertains to information browsing. More particularly, this invention relates to browsing information available on a network (such as the Internet) and executing an application (such as a video conferencing application) in the context of information browsing.
2. Background
As computer technology advances, using a computer system for browsing, in particular browsing information available on a network, has continually increased. A network refers to a collection of two or more computer systems communicatively coupled to one another. A network may also be interconnected to one or more other networks. One particular type of interconnected networks which has become popular recently is the Internet. Typically in a network or a collection of interconnected networks one computer system, referred to as the client system, accesses a second computer system, referred to as the host system, in order to obtain data from the host system.
One use of interconnected networks, particularly the Internet, is referred to as the world wide web or simply "the web". The web refers to the multiple networked computer systems geographically dispersed throughout the world that allows data to be transferred among the computer systems using the HyperText Transport Protocol (HTTP). A number of "web browsers" are commercially available which assist client system users in obtaining and browsing information from host systems (also referred to as web servers). By using such a browser, a client system user is able to retrieve and view documents from a web server locate anywhere in the world. Each web server typically functions independently of the other web servers.
As the popularity of information browsing continues to increase, it is expected that it will become the primary model of user interaction with the computer system, just as the "desktop" model has become for graphical user interfaces. However, one problem with prior art web browsers is that typically only "documents" from a single web server can be loaded at the client system and used by the client system user at a time. Thus, a client system user is typically prohibited from viewing "documents" from one web server while browsing different "documents" from another independent web server in a single instance of a browser. Rather, multiple browser instances must be employed. Similarly, prior art web browsers also do not allow an independent application "unrelated" to the documents of a web server to be co-executed within an instance of a browser. The independent unrelated application must be executed in another window.
Therefore, a need exists for seamless integration of information browsing from multiple independent uncollaborated information sources, including running independent unrelated applications within the context of information browsing.